Connecting Microsoft (Bing) Ads

Pulling your Microsoft Advertising data into Google Sheets takes just a few clicks. Because Metric Might connects directly to the Microsoft Ads API, you can pull live search performance, keyword data, and conversions across the Bing, Yahoo, and AOL networks instantly.

1. Prerequisites (Required Permissions)

Before you can pull data, you must have the correct permissions inside your Microsoft Advertising account.

  • You must have at least Standard User or Super Admin access to the specific Microsoft Ads account you wish to query.
  • If you manage multiple clients, ensure your Microsoft login has been granted access to their respective ad accounts or the overarching Manager Account before authenticating in Metric Might.

2. How to Connect

You can connect your Microsoft Advertising account without leaving the query builder.

  1. Open the Metric Might Web App and navigate to the Queries page.
  2. Under the Data source section, click the dropdown and select Add Data Source.
  3. Choose Microsoft (Bing) Ads.
  4. A secure popup will ask you to log into your Microsoft account. Review the permissions and click Yes to grant access.
⚠️ Popup blocked? If nothing appears when you click to connect, your browser may be blocking the authentication popup. Allow popups for app.metricmight.com and try again.
💡 Agency Tip: Just like Google Ads, Microsoft supports Agency Manager Accounts. When you authenticate using the Microsoft login tied to your Manager Account, Metric Might will automatically detect and unlock access to all child accounts underneath it. You do not need to authenticate every client individually.

3. Available Metrics & Dimensions

When building your query, click into the Metrics or Dimensions dropdowns to open the search overlay. You can search for standard search engine marketing fields like Spend, Impressions, Clicks, and Conversions, as well as granular breakdowns like Keyword and Search Term.

Metric Might’s live compatibility matrix will automatically disable any fields that Microsoft’s API prohibits querying alongside your current selection.

4. Query Execution Speed

Microsoft Ads is the only data source in Metric Might that uses an asynchronous reporting API. Unlike other platforms where data is returned immediately, Microsoft’s API works in three stages: Metric Might submits a report request, waits for Microsoft to process it on their end, then fetches and processes the resulting file.

This means Microsoft Ads queries will take noticeably longer to complete than other platforms — typically 10–30 seconds depending on the date range and complexity of your query. This is expected behaviour and not a sign that something has gone wrong.

5. Token Expiry

Microsoft access tokens are generally long-lasting. Once you authenticate Microsoft Ads in Metric Might, the connection will remain active unless one of the following happens:

  • You change your Microsoft account password.
  • Your organisation’s IT department enforces a strict session timeout or revokes third-party app access via Azure Active Directory.
  • You manually revoke Metric Might’s access from your Microsoft Account settings.

If a Microsoft Ads query stops working unexpectedly with an authentication error, go to the Connections page, click the three-dot menu (⋮) next to the Microsoft Ads data source, and select Sign In Again.

6. Microsoft-Specific Quirks & Gotchas

While Microsoft Ads looks and feels like Google Ads, its API processes data differently. If your numbers look slightly off, it is almost always due to one of the following.

Conversion Processing Delays

Microsoft Advertising does not report conversions in real-time. It can take up to 5 hours for standard conversion goals to appear in the API, and even longer for offline conversions or specific attribution models to fully settle. If you pull a report for “Today,” your spend and clicks will be accurate but your conversions will likely be underreported until tomorrow.

Timezones

Microsoft Ads reporting is bound to the timezone of the individual Ad Account. Metric Might automatically uses each ad account’s native timezone when calculating relative date ranges like Yesterday or Last 7 Days, so your data will always align correctly with the account’s own reporting without any manual configuration.

The Search Partner Network

Microsoft syndicates ads across a large network of partner sites including Yahoo, AOL, and DuckDuckGo. If you pull a generic campaign report, your Impressions may look unexpectedly high while your CTR looks low. Add the Network dimension to your query to split performance between Bing search and syndicated search partners, so you can see where your traffic is actually coming from.

What’s Next?

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